Treasure Trove Troubles
by TheGoldenYoshichu
Summary: The Mane Six get a mysterious letter telling them about a cave filled with treasure. They, along with some friends, decide to get this treasure. Grayback and his team are also after the treasure, and they will stop at nothing to get it. Meanwhile a certain dragon is looking for a different treasure in this cave that he can give to a certain pony. Sequel to Heroes and Helpers.
1. Chapter 1: Desire of The Heart

**Chapter 1: Desire of The Heart**

The purple dragon Spike sat inside of Twilight Sparkle's castle with his nose in a book. Surprisingly it was not a comic book like he usually would read. Spike was reading something far different from his usual tastes. His very reason for reading was extremely unlike him. The young dragon wasn't reading for entertainment. He was doing some important research. Spike kept reading the heavy book in front of him as his mind focused on the reason for his behavior. The purple drake was researching a way for him to impress a certain pony. This pony was known as Rarity.

Spike had always had a huge crush on the white unicorn. He would do absolutely anything to have her love. The young dragon wanted to be with her so desperately. His nose was buried in a book that told him of a treasure that he was certain would cause Rarity to finally return his affection. This treasure was known as The Amulet of Hearts.

The Amulet of Hearts was an extremely curious object. It was a simple golden necklace with a clear colored heart shaped gem in the center. According to many reliable sources, the amount of this treasure was unknown. This was due to the fact that it could not be created by anypony. This object could not even be found by anypony. The Amulet of Hearts would only appear to one who felt a deep affection for another. Legend said that if somepony were to give it to another the heart shaped gem would change its color if the two ponies were meant to be together. Spike was very determined to find this treasure. He was certain that Rarity was the one for him. Presenting The Amulet of Hearts to her would undoubtedly make his dreams come true. Spike could not find any sort of clues as to where the amulet could be found. With an annoyed sigh, he shut the book and put it down. He had made some notes but they were far from helpful. If the amulet appeared when somepony was in love with another then Spike felt he should have been buried in them since he was madly in love with Rarity. Even if Rarity wasn't the one for him surely The Amulet of Hearts should have appeared by now. He had been in love with Rarity for over a year. He had even gone on a date with her at one point.

The purple dragon smiled to himself as he remembered that date. It wasn't anything fancy. He had asked Rarity out after Gilda and Rainbow Dash had re-befriended each other. The unicorn politely accepted and the duo went on a small picnic in a nearby park. Nothing extremely romantic but they had had a good time. Spike was saving up his bits for a very special date with Rarity. He had been working for his friends so that one day he could take Rarity on a date at a very romantic restaurant. He was completely certain that the unicorn would love it and him. Unfortunately getting a reservation at such a place wasn't cheap. Spike was still short a good amount of bits even with all of the work that he was doing.

Spike's head perked up as he heard the door to the room open. Twilight Sparkle walked in and looked through the various books in the room. What she was looking for Spike didn't know. It wasn't until she decided to speak that Spike realized that the book he had been reading was still on the floor. He hastily picked it up and went to put it back when Twilight Sparkle spoke up.

"Spike." she began. "Have you seen that copy of _Mystical and Mysterious Treasures_ by any chance?" she asked.

The young dragon handed over the book and Twilight Sparkle thanked him. She opened it up and Spike's page of notes fell out. The purple alicorn picked it up and Spike's face turned from purple to red as he realized what she was holding. The young dragon quickly snatched the paper from Twilight Sparkle which earned him a very curious glance.

"What's on that paper Spike?" Twilight Sparkle asked.

"Nothing!" Spike replied in a panicked tone.

Twilight Sparkle's eyes narrowed as she looked at the paper in Spike's hands. Her horn glowed and she used her magic to move the paper out of Spike's grasp and read it.

"The Amulet of Hearts?" she asked. "Why were you trying to hide that from me?"

Spike looked down towards the ground and shuffled his feet in embarrassment.

"Can you keep a secret?" he asked.

"Of course Spike." Twilight Sparkle replied with a smile. "So why are you looking up The Amulet of Hearts?"

"I wanted to find it so I could give it to Rarity." Spike said with a huge blush on his face.

The purple alicorn had a smile on her face when she heard this. That was one of the most touching things that she had ever heard in her entire life.

"Oh Spike." Twilight Sparkle said. "That's so romantic. Rarity would love it."

"You mean it?" Spike asked in disbelief.

"Of course." the purple alicorn replied. "Rarity would love it if she got her hooves on it."

"Too bad I can't find one." Spike said sadly. "I'll never win her over."

The young dragon looked down to the floor and sighed. Twilight Sparkle walked over to him and wrapped a foreleg around him. She then spoke in the most soothing voice possible.

"Don't worry Spike." she said. "I'm sure Rarity will warm up to you. She'll appreciate the fact that you thought about getting that amulet for her."

"You think so?" Spike asked with a hopeful smile on his face.

"I'm sure of it." Twilight Sparkle responded.

"Thanks Twilight." Spike said as he gave the alicorn a hug.

"No problem Spike." Twilight Sparkle replied as she returned the embrace.

The duo sat down and researched The Amulet of Hearts. Spike was determined to know everything he could about it so that he could finally have Rarity's affection. He wanted to be more than just a friend to her. Twilight Sparkle was so touched by Spike's thoughtfulness that she decided to help him in any way that she could. The duo agreed to keep it their little secret. Spike wanted to be able to surprise Rarity with the amulet if he ever managed to find one.

Meanwhile Rarity herself was thinking about something similar to the young dragon. The unicorn wondered just who she was meant to be with in life. She had gone to The Grand Galloping Gala with a sophisticated colt but he was very stuck up and snobbish. Rarity truly wanted to find somepony with a sense of sophistication but she also wanted to be treated right. She had tried to date some of the stallions she met in Canterlot. Her fashion career involved frequent trips to the city so she had met quite a few fine gentlecolts there. However all of them turned out to be arrogant, rude, or just downright unpleasant. The white unicorn tried to figure out just what she wanted in a lover.

"If only I could find somepony who truly loved me." she whispered to herself. "Somepony that would do anything for me and would give me the absolute best that he could."

The white unicorn laid down in her bed and her mind was plagued with dreams of some fine colt dating her but then becoming a horrible pony. Why was it so hard to find love? The only one that seemed to meet her requirements was Spike. Rarity knew that the purple dragon had a serious crush on her. Rarity had dated him once and she was quite surprised at how polite he was. Granted she knew that he was a kind dragon but she had never expected to see such chivalry from him. Spike had treated her with the upmost respect and caring. But what would Rarity's friends say if she started to have a relationship with him? Shouldn't a mare like her have a stallion that was just as refined as she was? For all of his kindness, Spike wasn't exactly sophisticated. He tried his hardest but he couldn't truly match the sort of behavior associated with a gentlecolt.

Rarity tried to get to sleep but her thoughts kept her awake and confused. What did she want to find in her special somepony? Who would be a perfect match for her?


	2. Chapter 2: Troubling News

**Chapter 2: Troubling News**

Twilight Sparkle awoke the next day to an urgent knock on her front door. Yawning widely, she made her way to the entrance of her castle and opened the door. The purple alicorn was very surprised to see her brother Shining Armor standing before her. The unicorn male was dressed in his armor so Twilight Sparkle knew that this was not going to be a casual visit. Whatever Shining Armor had come to discuss was official business. Judging by his facial expression, his news would not be pleasant.

The purple alicorn invited her brother inside and the two of them sat down at a table. Shining Armor looked extremely uncomfortable as he looked at his little sister.

"Twilight." he said grimly.

Twilight Sparkle knew that this would not be good news. Shining Armor almost always referred to her as 'Twiley' so when he used her real name, she knew that something was wrong.

"There's been a breakout at Canterlot Prison." Shining Armor said.

Twilight Sparkle's eyes widened in disbelief. Canterlot Prison was one of the most secure and heavily guarded places in all of Equestria. Breaking out was said to be physically impossible. The jail cells were too strong to be broken open by pegasi or earth ponies. Even the magic of a unicorn or alicorn would be useless against the walls due to the many protection charms that had been cast on them. How anypony could escape was a total mystery.

"You remember Grayback right?" Shining Armor asked.

Twilight Sparkle nodded as she felt her stomach drop. Her mind was quickly putting two and two together and she did not like what the outcome was.

"Grayback broke out of his cell." Shining Armor said. "Then he freed his crew and they escaped. We have no idea where they are or what they'll do."

"Why are you telling me this?" Twilight Sparkle asked.

"You fought against him and got him in jail." Shining Armor said. "We figured that you might be a target for revenge."

Twilight Sparkle's eyes widened. She was starting to get very scared. While she and her friends had defeated the four criminals, they were still very threatening. All four of them were extremely dangerous. If what Shining Armor said was true then the foursome would definitely try to attack her.

"What should we do?" Twilight Sparkle asked.

"I'm working on trying to track them." Shining Armor replied. "In the meantime stay alert. We have no idea what he's planning so don't take any risks."

Twilight Sparkle nodded and then Shining Armor left the castle and headed back to Canterlot. The purple alicorn bit her lip and then she ran to her room. She pulled out the hat and cape that she had gotten from Trixie and put them on. The purple alicorn began to calm down as she wore the stage outfit. Not only was it extremely comfortable but Twilight Sparkle couldn't help but feel safe when she wore it. She felt like Trixie was watching over her and would protect her from anything. Twilight Sparkle knew that this was a foolish thing to think since Trixie was far away putting on a show in some other town. Yet the outfit just made Twilight Sparkle feel like Trixie was there with her. After a few moments, Twilight Sparkle put the stage outfit away and left the castle. She needed to warn the others.

The purple alicorn ran through the streets and she quickly found her eight friends. Before she could open her mouth to speak, Gilda cut her off.

"We know Twi." she said. "Grayback escaped."

Twilight Sparkle looked from Gilda to Rainbow Dash to Fluttershy to Lightning Dust and the others. Each and every one of her eight friends had a serious expression on his or her face. The group of nine sat at a table together and they tried to figure out if they should do anything about the four escaped criminals.

"We don't know where they are." Twilight Sparkle said. "What can we even do?"

The eight others stayed silent. They couldn't really do anything. Grayback and his team could be literally anywhere in Equestria and they wouldn't know where to start looking. The group of nine tried to have a normal day but the rest of the town somehow learned about Grayback's escape and they got paranoid. They distinctly remembered how he and his team had attacked their town a month or so ago. Would the foursome return for another crime spree? Would they be stopped again?

Meanwhile in an abandoned area of Detrot, a group of four sat together and planned their next move.

"Okay guys." Grayback said. "Here's the plan. We're gonna bait those ponies out with this letter."

He produced a scroll which held details of a cave filled with valuable treasures. The three ponies that were with him smiled maliciously at the plan. This would work perfectly.

"Wait till they find out there's no treasure." Chunker said.

"Ah my dear Chunker." Monochrome replied. "The treasure is real."

"We're gonna take the treasure and give them a good tail kicking." Psyke said as his horn glowed in excitement.

"You got it Psyke." Grayback said. "Then maybe if we're lucky we can get some ransom for that purple pony. I bet they'll pay a high price for their precious princess."

"Way to go boss!" Chunker cheered.

"This plan shall be perfect." Monochrome said excitedly.

"I can't wait to get my hooves on that treasure." Psyke said as he rubbed his front hooves together in anticipation.

The foursome laughed maliciously as Grayback dropped the letter into the mailbox. The foursome were extremely confident that their enemies would fall right into their trap. This plan would get them their revenge and earn them loads of money. They laughed harder as they got their new group of henchponies ready. Their ranks had grown ever since their escape from jail. Now they had a number of ponies working for them. They now had twenty earth ponies, twelve pegasi, four unicorns and four griffons all serving them obediently. An army of forty wasn't much but it would give them an advantage over the group from Ponyville. Even if their army were to be defeated, the foursome would be able to take out their enemies easily since they'd be worn out from that kind of fight. They discussed their evil plans with their troops and they all cheered at the prospect of riches. This would go perfectly for them.


	3. Chapter 3: The Hunt Begins

**Chapter 3: The Hunt Begins**

When Twilight Sparkle woke up in the morning she was greeted by Spike. The purple dragon was holding a letter that was addressed to the purple alicorn. Twilight Sparkle took the letter and opened it. The scroll unraveled and a piece of parchment fell from it and hit the floor. The purple alicorn read the letter and she was very confused by what she was reading. This letter didn't come with a return address so Twilight Sparkle had no clue who had sent it to her. The letter had only a few sentences written on it.

_If treasure is what you seek then follow the map. This journey shall be difficult so bring friends if you must. Be sure to arrive quickly. There will always be somepony else that is after the treasure._

Twilight Sparkle gazed at the map that had been handed to her by Spike. The map started in Ponyville and a red line was drawn from the town to a mountain that was far away. According to an attached note the treasure would be inside of a cave at the mountain's base. Spike was extremely excited at the prospect of treasure.

"Can you believe it Twi?" he nearly shouted. "There's gonna be treasure. And that means gems."

The young dragon felt himself beginning to drool at the thought of all of the delicious gems that he could find in this cave. Twilight Sparkle couldn't help but smile at his enthusiasm. However a red flag went up in her mind. Who would send her a map to this kind of treasure and not leave their name? The purple alicorn was extremely suspicious about the whole situation. This could be a trap by Grayback. Twilight Sparkle decided to talk about this with her other friends. Gilda probably knew more about Grayback than she did so the griffon would know if he would resort to a trick like this.

The duo left the castle and headed into Ponyville. She met up with her friends and talked to them. Each and every one of them was interested in the treasure.

"Do you think it could be a trap?" Twilight Sparkle asked.

"Come on Twi." Rainbow Dash said. "Who would wanna do that?"

"What about Grayback?" Twilight Sparkle asked. "I bet he wants revenge for last time. What do you think Gilda?"

Gilda was thoughtful for a moment before she replied.

"Grayback's not stupid." she replied. "He wouldn't fight us unless he knew he'd win. Since we destroyed him last time he knows he won't win."

The others looked convinced but Twilight Sparkle still had her doubts. Would it be a good idea for her and her friends to go after this treasure? Was it all a trap by Grayback? Twilight Sparkle decided to have the group of nine take a vote on whether or not they should go after the treasure.

"All in favor?" Twilight Sparkle asked.

Spike's hand immediately shot up. His opinion was shared by Rainbow Dash, Gilda, and Lightning Dust. After a few seconds, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Fluttershy all raised their hooves in agreement. Twilight Sparkle knew that the vote was over so she agreed with the others. The group of nine got excited. They were going to go on a hunt for treasure. Spike wondered if he would find The Amulet of Hearts inside of the cave. The group of nine made some plans for transportation. They would take a train to a nearby town and hike from there.

The nine friends went back to their respective houses and packed their saddlebags with food and other supplies. They also each brought a larger bag that they would use to hold their treasure. The group of nine marched of to the train station and got on board. This would be an awesome adventure. Little did they know they were being watched. A lone male pegasus pony saw them leave and grinned. He quickly flew away from Ponyville and towards an alleyway in a small town near the mountain.

The pegasus was greeted by a griffon. The griffon had a dark brown body and jet black wings. His head was covered in black feathers. The feathers around his eyes were a bold red color. His brown eyes gazed at the pegasus that stood before him.

"Well?" he asked.

"They took the bait hook, line, and sinker boss." the pegasus replied.

"Perfect." the griffon replied. "Get into your position with the others and follow your orders."

"Yes sir!" the pegasus replied as he gave the griffon a salute.

As the pegasus left, Grayback smiled to himself. His plan was going smoothly. The nine from Ponyville took his bait just like he had planned. With an arrogant smirk on his face, Grayback flew off towards the mountain to meet with his army. He'd have his treasure and his revenge.

"I think it's about time I gave Gilda a makeover." he mumbled to himself as he flew onwards towards his destination.

The scar running down his left eye was still there just like it had been for over a year. Grayback was definitely anxious to give payback to the one that had given him that horrible mark. Grayback had lost a lot since then and he was going to make Gilda pay for it dearly.


	4. Chapter 4: Entering The Cave

**Chapter 4: Entering The Cave**

The train pulled into the station and the group of nine got off and walked onto the station platform. They were getting extremely excited about the treasures that they could find during this journey. Even Twilight Sparkle was having a very hard time at hiding her enthusiasm. They checked the map and quickly headed off towards the mountain. It didn't take long before it came into view.

The mountain was a huge towering landscape. It dominated the scene before the nine friends. They couldn't help but be in awe of such a place existing. One thing was certain: they were thankful that they didn't have to climb it. The huge mountain was still a pretty good distance away. Wasting no time, the group of nine started their trek towards the intimidating hill and the treasures it held.

Meanwhile a group of ponies and griffons stood at the entrance of a cave at the mountain's base. A griffon, two pegasi, and an alicorn stood in front of them. The others were in four rows of ten and they faced the foursome with firm looks on their faces.

"They could be here at anytime." Grayback said to his troops. "You all know what you have to do right?"

"Sir yes sir!" was the reply.

"Do what you must to defeat them." Grayback continued. "But make sure they're alive. Do I make myself clear?"

"Sir yes sir!" the group of forty responded again.

"Good now get into your positions." Grayback said as he turned and entered the cave. He was followed in by the two pegasi as well as the alicorn that had stood next to him. The group of four made their way into the cavern and they quickly disappeared from view. The group of forty took up their positions in hiding. They would take the group of nine by surprise and hopefully subdue them quickly. All of them got excited at the riches they would have should they be successful with their assault.

Twilight Sparkle held the map as she and her friends walked to the mountain. Everypony in the group was excitedly discussing the treasures and what they'd do with the bits that they were worth.

"I'm gonna get a way cooler house." Lightning Dust said. "That three room shack just doesn't fit my style."

"Well I'm gonna spend my bits to build a training area." Rainbow Dash replied. "Gotta keep myself in shape if I'm ever gonna be a Wonderbolt."

"Ah can't think of much Ah'd use the money for." Applejack said with a shrug. "What about you Gilda?"

"Normally I'd treat myself to a nice steak but I can't find any in Ponyville." the griffon replied. "But that salmon you gave me was delicious. You're a life saver Fluttershy."

"Oh it's no problem Gilda." Fluttershy responded. "Salmon die when they spawn so waste not want not."

"I'm gonna use all my bits to make the most super duper delicious cupcakes in the whole wide world of Equestria." Pinkie Pie said excitedly. "Then I'm gonna share them with _all _my friends."

"I would never dream of selling such treasures." Rarity said. "They would make for excellent accessories for some of my latest designs."

Spike meanwhile stayed silent. He knew that the cave was full of treasure. However there was only one treasure that he was searching for. Spike wanted The Amulet of Hearts. He felt like that would be his best chance of finally having Rarity's love. A smile grew on the face of the purple dragon as he imagined himself giving Rarity that gem. He started having a daydream about what would happen afterwards.

"I hope you like it Rarity." Spike said as he held out the golden necklace with the heart shaped gem.

"Oh Spike." Rarity said with a gasp. "It's beautiful. I love it."

She quickly put the necklace on and admired it.

"It's the most beautiful thing in the world." Rarity declared.

"I can think of one thing that's even more beautiful." Spike replied.

"And what would that be?" Rarity asked.

"You." Spike replied.

"Oh Spike." Rarity said as her eyes began to water from the compliment.

"I love you Rarity." Spike said.

"I love you too Spike." Rarity replied as the heart shaped gem changed its color from clear to a bright emerald green. This sudden change signified that Rarity's love for Spike was really true.

The two lovers inched closer and closer together. Spike's heart was pounding. This was it. He was about to kiss the mare of his dreams. After all this time, it would finally happen. The two lovers were just millimeters apart when Spike's fantasy was suddenly interrupted by a confused voice.

"Uh Spike why are you making out with that rock?" Rainbow Dash asked.

Spike's eyes opened and widened as he saw that he was kissing not Rarity, but a stone that was lying on the ground. Spike quickly dropped the rock and spat in disgust. His friends gave him questioning looks but he ignored them. He did not want to discuss what had just happened. The group of nine got closer to the mountain. The massive landscape grew bigger and bigger the closer they got. The nine friends from Ponyville were stunned at how gigantic the mountain truly was. This only made them even more thankful that they weren't going to be climbing it. Finally they saw the cave that the map was pointing to.

"There it is." Twilight Sparkle said.

"All right!" Rainbow Dash yelled. "Time to get some treasure!"

The rainbow maned pegasus zoomed off with Gilda and Lightning Dust right behind her. The remaining six shook their heads and followed the trio. The three fliers stopped right in front of the entrance and waited for their six friends. Soon enough the other six joined them and they looked at the cave. Just before they could enter a blast of magic shot right towards them. The bolt of magic narrowly missed Gilda and the group of nine looked towards where it had come from.

Out of the bushes a group of forty emerged. Twenty earth ponies, twelve pegasi, four unicorns, and four griffons all stood and glared at the group of nine. A pegasus that looked like the leader stepped forwards. He had a dark blue body with an orange mane and tail. He wore a dark black shirt and pants which covered his cutie mark. His light green eyes narrowed in suspicion as he spoke.

"And just where do ya think you're going?" he asked in a very threatening tone. "You weren't thinking of stealing our treasure were ya?"

"_Your _treasure?" Rainbow Dash asked incredulously.

"I think you mean _our _treasure." Gilda corrected.

"We're not letting ya anywhere near it." Lightning Dust growled.

"Especially after you attacked us." Twilight Sparkle added angrily.

"Boss' orders." the pegasus replied. "You can either bail out now or me and my boys will make sure you won't get that treasure. Isn't that right guys?"

"Sir yes sir!" the others shouted. The pegasus grinned at the group of nine.

"So four to one fight." he said arrogantly. "Think you can take us?"

The group of nine glanced at each other and nodded. Rainbow Dash flew straight towards the pegasus and attacked. The battle began and it was brutal. Gilda was forced to fight all four of the griffons at once. Talented though she was, this would not be an easy task for her to accomplish. Twilight Sparkle and Rarity dueled against two unicorns, an earth pony, and a pegasus each. Meanwhile Lightning Dust and Fluttershy had four pegasi each on them. Soon three more pegasi joined the fight against Rainbow Dash. Applejack dueled against the remaining two pegasi as well as two more earth ponies. The remaining twelve earth ponies divided themselves equally among Pinkie Pie and Spike. Thankfully the young dragon had thought to bring his necklace with him. He quickly transformed into Hum Drum and then turned into his armored form. Two of the earth ponies broke off their fight with Pinkie Pie and instead focused on Spike.

Twilight Sparkle used her magic to counter the spells of the unicorns she faced. Trixie had taught her more than just illusions. She had taught her combative magic and also helped Twilight Sparkle develop a sense of unpredictability. This helped the alicorn defeat her attackers. The two unicorns were easily bested and the pegasus and earth pony didn't do much better.

Rarity meanwhile had used a much different approach. Her horn glowed but instead of attacking her enemies, she used her magic to add to her beauty. This caused quite a distraction for her opponents. They were so busy ogling her that they didn't notice her horn glowing again. Rarity quickly defeated the foursome and did what she could to help her friends with their battles.

Gilda, Rainbow Dash, Lightning Dust, and Fluttershy had taken to the air with their enemies. Each of them had been able to bring down one opponent each before they had risen into the sky. Then the foursome flew in haphazard paths while their enemies followed them. One of the griffons chasing Gilda crashed into one of Rainbow Dash's pursuers. This then led to the duo taking out two more pegasi. The foursome separated and their attackers did the same. Gilda made short work of the remaining two griffons and they crashed to the ground. Lightning Dust knocked one pegasus out of the air and then hurled the last one towards Fluttershy's attackers. The two pegasi collided and now Fluttershy only had one more enemy to deal with. She quickly punched him in the face and he spiraled towards the ground and barely missed two of Spike's opponents. Rainbow Dash quickly beat one of the two pegasi and she continued her fight with the leader of the army.

Applejack meanwhile was fighting against the earth ponies on the ground while the two pegasi tried to dive-bomb her. After dodging their attacks for a while, Applejack managed to grab hold of one of the pegasi. She quickly hurled him towards his flying companion and the duo crashed to the ground. One of the earth ponies tried to attack Applejack from behind but she was ready for this. Her hind legs which had been strengthened from years of hard work quickly knocked the offending earth pony unconscious. The remaining earth pony was quickly defeated and Applejack tried to help Pinkie Pie with her battle.

Pinkie Pie meanwhile was outrunning her enemies. Even without her Fili-second costume the pink pony was still very fast. The four earth ponies soon ran out of breath and they just collapsed of exhaustion. Pinkie Pie giggled and kept on running. It was like she didn't even know she was in a battle. Then again she probably didn't.

Spike was using his powers to his advantage. The magical beams from his crystal sword took out two earth ponies effortlessly. Another earth pony tried to tackle him but got smacked in the face by Spike's shield. The fourth earth pony was then punched right in the gut. Spike's armor also gave him a boost in strength so his punch was now a lot more threatening. The remaining four earth ponies tried to tackle Spike all at once. However Spike pressed the yellow gem on his boots and he escaped them. He then used his speed to his advantage and quickly took down two more of his enemies. The remaining two earth ponies tried to tackle Spike but they ended up crashing into each other and falling to the ground. Finally only one more enemy remained.

Rainbow Dash fought against the leader of the group. This pegasus was far more skilled than the others had been. He effortlessly dodged all of the rainbow maned pegasus' attacks.

"You're not gonna beat me." he said with a laugh. "Why don't you just give up?"

"Maybe 'cause your army just got trashed?" Rainbow Dash responded.

The pegasus looked down and his jaw dropped. All thirty nine of his troops were laying on the ground defeated.

"This can't be." he whispered.

'Yep." Rainbow Dash replied. "And now you're about to join 'em."

With that, she quickly gave the stunned pegasus a punch to the face and he crashed down to the ground. Rainbow Dash landed lightly and glanced at her eight friends. All of them had made it through unscathed. The group of nine entered the cave and set off in search of the treasure. The leader pegasus shook his head. He pulled out a small object and spoke into it.

"Boss." he said. "We failed. They're inside the cave."

Immediately after that he finally fell unconscious.

Grayback had heard this statement and he growled in displeasure. His lieutenant had failed him so now he and his three teammates would have to take care of the group of nine by themselves.

"Is everything set up?" he asked.

"The trap is set perfectly." Monochrome replied.

"They're gonna walk right into it." Psyke said in excitement.

"Excellent." Grayback replied. "Chunker you stay here and make sure they don't follow us. If they escape do whatever you can to take them down."

"You got it boss." Chunker said in response.

Grayback walked deeper into the cave with Psyke and Monochrome following behind him. The three of them walked onwards and looked for the treasure. The muscular pony hid herself and waited for the trap to be set off.


	5. Chapter 5: Trapped and Separated

**Chapter 5: Trapped and Separated**

The group of nine ventured into the dark cavernous area. Having put the army of forty behind them, they were really determined to find this treasure. The cave wasn't pitch black but it wasn't exactly bright. The stone walls bore no gems for them to take. Even Rarity's magic was unable to find a hint of treasure. The group of nine continued their journey. They weren't going to give up so soon. They hadn't taken down an army of forty just to leave the cave after only taking twenty steps in. The nine friends kept excitedly discussing their plans for what they'd spend the treasure on. Spike remained silent since he had a much different treasure in mind.

_That Amulet of Hearts has got to be here. _the young dragon thought determinedly. _It's gotta be somewhere in this cave. I'm gonna find it and when I do I'm gonna give it to Rarity._

Once again Spike found himself daydreaming about how Rarity would react to his gift. The purple drake smiled at the thought of getting a kiss from the mare of his dreams. Thankfully he pulled himself together before he started making out with rocks again. The nine friends kept their journey up and they were all determined to find the treasures that were hidden in this cave.

After a few minutes, Rarity pointed excitedly at something in the distance. The eight others looked and saw a shiny golden goblet sitting on a stone pedestal. The group of nine eagerly rushed towards it. Spike picked it up and he held it in his claws. Before the eight others could get a better look at it, a huge crash was heard. A giant gray metal cage had fallen around the group. The silver colored bars were so close together that not even Spike could fit through. A laugh rang out in the silent cavern.

"I can't believe it." a female voice said. "Ya fell for it."

The mare stepped out of the darkness and the nine ponies glared at her.

"Chunker." Gilda said angrily.

"Yep." she replied with a smug grin. "Now that we trapped ya we'll have that treasure all for us."

Chunker walked off with a nasty smile on her face. The nine friends exchanged worried looks and then they tried to free themselves from their prison. However the bars that held them were far too powerful to be broken. Even the brute force of Gilda couldn't dent them. The combined magic of Twilight Sparkle and Rarity didn't fare much better. None of the nine friends could to a thing to the prison. They were trapped and there was no way out.

"I can't believe this." Rainbow Dash growled angrily.

"Now what are we gonna do?" Lightning Dust asked.

"Ah have no idea." Applejack replied.

"We're trapped here and those ruffians are going to take our treasure." Rarity cried.

"This is horrible." Fluttershy muttered.

"I wanna get outta here." Pinkie Pie wailed.

"We need a plan." Twilight Sparkle said.

Gilda meanwhile had been examining the bars closely. She checked it and then a grin grew on her face.

"Guys." she said. "I've got a plan."

She approached Spike and sighed a bit.

"Spike I'm sorry I have to do this to ya buddy."

Gilda pulled out a bottle of a red liquid and Spike's eyes widened in fear.

"Not that." he shouted. "Anything but that!"

"Uh G what's going on?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"Remember how I helped Spike get the guts to talk to Rarity?" Gilda asked.

The others nodded. This had happened shortly after Gilda and Rainbow Dash's friendship had been rekindled.

"Well anyway Spike took me out for lunch to thank me." Gilda explained. "So he ordered a plate of hay fries and told the cook to make them as spicy as possible. Then he gets them and eats them all at once. Next thing I know I've got a bunch of ponies panicking. There are waiters trying to put out burning curtains. The manager's yelling at me and I'm holding on to a living flamethrower."

The others nodded as they understood. The food that Spike ate had been so spicy that it caused him to breathe fire.

"Well anyway if Spike swallows this he can breathe fire." Gilda said. "If we're lucky he'll melt the bars of this cage."

"Why can't I just use my normal fire?" Spike asked.

"'Cause it's not strong enough." Gilda told him. The she looked the dragon in the eyes. "Believe me Spike if there was another way out I'd go for it. But this is our only shot. If you don't do this we won't even get out of this cage. Then you can say goodbye to that treasure."

Spike nodded and took the bottle from Gilda. He took a deep breath, popped the top off and drank the liquid down in one gulp. Gilda held Spike and pointed him towards the bars of the cage. Suddenly Spike's pupils shrank and a bright red flame came out of his mouth. Gilda held Spike as his scorching hot fire breath melted the bars down to a puddle of liquid metal. Once Spike was finished he sat down on the ground and coughed.

"I hate doing that." he said in a hoarse voice.

"Relax Spike." Gilda told him. "Did ya think I'd bring the poison without the antidote?"

She handed over a bottle filled with milk which Spike drank down quickly. His eyes went back to normal and his voice was no longer hoarse and scratchy. The group of nine left the cage and headed deeper into the cave to continue their search for the treasure. Spike had hated swallowing the hot sauce but he did it for his friends and Rarity. Hopefully all of this would be worth it once he found The Amulet of Hearts.

The group of nine kept on walking but then a voice interrupted them.

"Did ya really think that ya would get this far?" the voice of Chunker asked.

The muscular mare appeared before them and glared at them.

"Ya should have stayed put." she said.

"And what are you gonna do?" Rainbow Dash demanded.

Chunker didn't respond. Instead she leaped into the air and crashed to the ground. The sheer mass of the muscular pegasus pony caused a tremor. The Chunker ran off through a branching path and the cave started to crumble. A big barrage of boulders blocked the path that Chunker took. Meanwhile the floor started to crack apart. All of a sudden, Rarity let out a scream. The floor was breaking underneath her hooves and she could fall at any moment. Before she could react, Rarity found herself getting shoved to the side by Spike. The young dragon pushed her back towards the others but he stumbled and fell through the cracks in the floor.

"Spike!" the eight friends shouted in unison.

Before they could try to save him, a boulder came down and plugged the hole that he had fallen into. Finally the cave in ended but now the group was down one member.

"Spike." Twilight Sparkle whispered sadly.

"He sacrificed himself for me." Rarity muttered in shock. Tears started to form in the eyes of the white unicorn. She was clearly touched by Spike's heroics and clearly hurt by his disappearance. The others were completely shocked by what had happened. The purple dragon had sacrificed himself to the unknown in an attempt to protect Rarity.

"Now what?" Twilight Sparkle asked.

"We gotta find him." Rainbow Dash said while the others nodded in agreement.

"But we have no idea where he could be." Rarity sniffled.

The others couldn't even begin to imagine what had happened to their friend.

"I say we go after the treasure." Gilda said.

"Spike does love gems." Twilight Sparkle agreed.

"That ain't much." Applejack said.

"But it's the best chance we've got." Rainbow Dash replied.

The rest of the group nodded and they all set off for the treasure. While all the gems in the world could never replace Spike, they knew that he'd be attracted to the idea of gems so they felt that that would be a good starting point. The group of eight tried to keep a positive mood but their morale had certainly taken a hit since they had lost one of their friends to an unknown fate.

Meanwhile Spike was falling an immeasurable distance. The pit was so dark that Spike couldn't see the walls. He had no clue how far down he was falling. All of a sudden he splashed into water. Spike had fallen right into a lake. While it wasn't the best landing it was certainly preferable over landing on the ground. The young dragon swam to the nearest bit of land and did what he could to dry himself off. Spike looked around but his vision was limited. This area of the cave was dimly lit so he had very little idea of where he could go.

"What do I do now?" he asked himself.

The purple dragon found a way out of the area he was in so he followed the path. He prayed that his friends were all right. Most of all he prayed that he would see them again. The young dragon walked down a dark and lonely path. He had no clue where he was and now he was alone. He had saved Rarity from this fate but now what could he do? Spike had tried to be a hero for the unicorn but he had ended up getting himself separated from his friends. If Rarity were to get in trouble then he wouldn't be able to save her. Spike kept walking and tried to think of anything positive. The only thought that came to mind was of his friends. Would the young dragon ever see them again?


	6. Chapter 6: Searching For Spike

**Chapter 6: Searching For Spike**

The group of eight traveled onwards through the cave. Now they had another thought on their minds. Instead of just searching for the treasure they were now searching for their lost friend Spike. The young purple dragon had sacrificed himself to save Rarity but he had surrendered himself to an unknown fate in the process. None of the eight friends knew if Spike was all right. They just searched for the treasure in the hopes that they'd find Spike as well. There was also a feeling of fear in the air. Since Chunker had been the one that caused the cave in it was safe to assume that Monochrome, Psyke, and Grayback were also in the cave. The foursome would undoubtedly start a fight if the group of nine were to find them. The group of eight walked on and called out for Spike occasionally. All of them were very concerned for their friend.

Meanwhile Spike walked his lonely path with no destination in his mind. He had long since left the lake behind him and he was in a stone passageway. There was only one way for the dragon to go: forwards. Spike's mind wandered to thoughts of his friends. He wondered what they were doing. Were they worried about him? Were they trying to find him or were they just searching for the treasure? Spike thought that his friends might have abandoned him. He quickly dismissed that thought from his mind. His friends would _never _abandon him. Spike tried to have hope that his friends would find him. The young dragon kept walking and tried to find his friends.

The eight friends approached a fork in their path. They looked from one path to the other. There was no way for them to tell which way lead to the treasure.

"Which way do we go?" Twilight Sparkle asked.

Both paths led downwards and into darkness. There was no way for them to see where they lead. The seven friends debated about which path they should take.

Meanwhile Rarity's horn glowed as she searched for gems. The white unicorn didn't care if she found them. She was using this as a way to find the treasure and hopefully Spike. Rarity didn't find any gems so she kept trying. She did everything that she could to widen the area that she could search. Finally she managed to find a gem. It was a very tiny ruby but it was better than nothing. Rarity set off down the path and discovered even more miniature gems. None of them would be worth enough bits to be worth the trouble of digging them out. The seven others followed Rarity as she set off down the path to the right. Hopefully this path would lead to the treasure. Hopefully the treasure would lead to Spike. The eight friends prayed that the young dragon would be all right.

Spike had been traveling down his path for a while now. There was nothing in the stone walls that gave him any clue as to where the treasure would be. Spike walked on as he carried the very few things he had brought with him. The young dragon had only brought three things: a bag to store his treasure in, his notes on The Amulet of Hearts, and his necklace that would allow him to transform into Hum Drum. The purple dragon kept on walking. He wished that his friends were with him. He didn't care if they teased him. As long as they were by his side he'd be happy.

"I wish they were with me." Spike said miserably. "Even if I find that treasure what's the point? I won't have anyone to share it with."

The purple dragon moved onwards until he found a small speck of gold. Spike picked it up eagerly but then tossed it aside. The tiny fragment wasn't worth anything and he'd probably lose it anyway. However he kept on walking. Maybe that piece of gold was a sign. Maybe he was on the right track to finding the treasure.

The group of eight had been walking downwards as they followed Rarity through the cave. The white unicorn had been using her magic to find gems. She used this as a way of finding where the treasure might be. Since Spike loved gems it was very likely that they would find him where the treasure was hidden. Then again this was assuming that the purple dragon had managed to find the treasure.

"I miss him." Pinkie Pie said sadly.

"We all miss him sugar cube." Applejack replied. "Ah just hope he's all right."

"I'm sure he's fine." Twilight Sparkle said in assurance.

"I bet he's munching on some gems right now." Rainbow Dash said in a tone of forced cheer.

Her statement had gotten a reluctant chuckle from Gilda and Lightning Dust. The eight friends kept on walking as they tried to find their friend. They didn't dare call out for him since they knew that Grayback and his team were somewhere in this cave. Rarity kept leading the way but her thoughts were not of gems. The white unicorn had only one thing on her mind: the safety of her friend Spike.

_He sacrificed himself for me._ Rarity thought. _He really does love me. Why didn't I see it sooner? If we find him again I'll make sure he knows how much he means to me. Spike is a great friend._

Rarity noticed a small object on the ground and picked it up. She admired the golden necklace with its clear colored heart shaped gem. This object was a beautiful sight.

"What's that you have there Rarity?" Twilight Sparkle asked.

Rarity turned and showed the necklace to the alicorn. Twilight Sparkle's jaw dropped as she looked at it.

"Rarity." she said. "You've found The Amulet of Hearts."

The unicorn's eyes widened as she heard this. She had found a gem that was said to be nearly impossible to find? Rarity couldn't believe it. She had known about The Amulet of Hearts but she never thought that she would ever have it in her entire life.

_Could this have something to do with Spike? _she wondered.

The eight friends marched onwards and wondered if they'd find a way to escape once they found Spike. None of the others questioned Rarity about the necklace and she was grateful for that. She hadn't figured out if she was in love with Spike and she didn't want to have to explain herself to her friends.

Spike meanwhile was walking along his path. He had found some more fragments of gold as well as a few shards of different gems. Maybe he really was getting closer to the treasure. Maybe he'd find his friends. Spike kept thinking about Rarity.

"I wish I could see her again." he muttered. "She means more to me than all the gems in Equestria."

Spike kept walking until he tripped over an unseen object. The dragon glared at it and picked it up. He had half a mind to give it a good toss. But just before he threw it, he looked at it and his jaw dropped.

Spike had found The Amulet of Hearts.

"No way." he whispered.

Spike stared at the beautiful golden necklace with the clear colored heart shaped gem. This was the genuine article. Spike had finally found what he had been looking for.

"But I don't have anyone to give it to." he whispered sadly. "I miss you Rarity."

Spike put the gem in his bag and walked onwards. Soon he came to a massive room and his jaw dropped in sheer amazement at what he was seeing before him.

"Sweet Celestia, Luna, and Ursa Major." he whispered as he sank to his knees in front of a massive pile of gold, silver, and many kinds of gems.


	7. Chapter 7: Reunion and Riches

**Chapter 7: Reunion and Riches**

Spike gasped at the huge pile of treasure that sat before him. He had done it. He had found the treasure that he and his friends had been looking for this whole time. Spike approached the mountain of gold, silver, rubies, emeralds, sapphires, and other shiny things. A sight like this was heaven for him. His eyes raked over the massive amounts of treasure. Spike couldn't even begin to figure out how much all of it was worth. He gazed hungrily at the gems that were scattered throughout the pile of precious metals.

Spike didn't know where to begin. He had his bag which only held his notes as well as The Amulet of Hearts. The young purple dragon knew that he couldn't fit all of this loot inside of his bag. He'd be lucky to be able to carry even a fraction of the treasure.

"This is amazing." he whispered in an awe filled tone.

The purple dragon started looking at all of the fabulous gems as he searched for the ones he'd bring home.

Meanwhile the group of eight had continued their search for the treasure. Rarity led the way as the path sloped even further downwards. The seven others followed.

"We gotta be close." Rainbow Dash said.

"The treasure's gotta be here somewhere." Gilda agreed.

"I hope Spike's all right." Twilight Sparkle said.

"Ah'm sure he's fine." Applejack assured her.

"Yeah Spike always pulls through." Lightning Dust agreed.

"I just hope he didn't get hurt." Fluttershy whispered.

"He's gonna be fine." Pinkie Pie said. "We're gonna find him and then we're gonna have a reunion party!"

The pink pony's cheerful tone was infectious. The others smiled slightly at just how upbeat Pinkie Pie was despite the seriousness of the situation. Pinkie Pie was always good at cheering others up. The group of eight kept on walking until they came to a massive area. They stopped in their tracks and their jaws dropped in shock.

They had found the treasure.

"I can't believe it." Twilight Sparkle whispered.

"This is awesome!" Rainbow Dash, Gilda, and Lightning Dust shouted in unison.

"Ah never thought we'd find it." Applejack said.

"This is amazing." Fluttershy whispered.

"We found the treasure!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed.

The eight friends wandered throughout the room which was lit by several torches that were scattered all around the place. and looked at the beautiful treasure that they had found. Rarity was separate from the rest of the group as she walked around the massive pile of gold. The white unicorn just wanted to find Spike.

Meanwhile Spike was sitting on a small mound of gold and staring at the treasure around him.

"This is cool." he said. "But I wish my friends were here with me."

Spike picked up a ruby and stared at it for a while.

"All of these gems are beautiful." he whispered.

Then Spike tossed the ruby down and sighed.

"But nothing is as beautiful as she is." he said.

Spike looked up to the ceiling of the cave and sighed.

"I wish you were here Rarity." he whispered.

Spike looked down to the ground with his eyes closed. Suddenly he felt a small tap on his shoulder. The young dragon turned and he was amazed at what he saw.

Rarity was standing behind him with a smile on her face.

"Rarity?" Spike asked in a stunned tone. "Is that you?"

Rarity nodded and then she flung her forelegs around Spike. The young dragon's eyes widened and then he returned the unicorn's embrace.

"I missed you." Spike whispered.

"I missed you too." Rarity whispered back.

The two kept hugging each other until they finally broke apart. The duo stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity until they heard the voice of Twilight Sparkle.

"Spike?" she asked.

The dragon turned and was immediately pulled into a hug by the purple alicorn.

"I missed you Spike." she said.

"I missed you too Twilight." Spike replied.

Soon enough the rest of their friends joined them. They couldn't believe it. Spike was perfectly okay and they had now been reunited with him. The group of eight embraced in a hug as they cheered. When they broke apart they realized that they had also found the treasure.

"I can't believe we found it." Spike said.

Just as they were about to start packing up their loot a voice rang out.

"Well thank you very much." an arrogant male voice said. "You've been a great help to us."

The group of eight turned and saw Grayback smirking at them with Chunker, Monochrome, and Psyke standing right behind him with the same expressions on their faces.


	8. Chapter 8: Strength of a Dragon

**Chapter 8: Strength of a Dragon**

The group of nine glared at the foursome as they smirked at them. Grayback and his team of crooks had made it to the treasure. The griffon took a step forwards and spoke.

"I guess I should thank you." he said. "I thought my army would have taken you out but you guys managed to win. I should be angry but you found the treasure for us. So thanks for making our job easier."

"You were following us?" Gilda asked angrily.

"Not you." Grayback replied as he pointed at Spike. "We followed him. I had a feeling he'd lead us to the treasure and it turns out I was right. Now if you don't mind we'll be taking our reward."

The foursome stepped closer to the treasure but the group of nine stepped in front of it.

"Not a chance." Rainbow Dash said fiercely.

"We didn't come this far to let you take our treasure." Gilda growled.

"If you wanna take it then you're gonna have to fight us." Lightning Dust said.

Grayback smirked at this.

"Psyke." he said. "Be a pal and take care of the lights will ya?"

Psyke's horn glowed and then the torches went out. The fires flew through the room and into Psyke's horn. The room was now pitch black and nopony could see a thing. All of a sudden a scream was heard followed by a thud. For a while there was confusion until Spike breathed his emerald green fire.

The bright flames cast a green light around the area. The treasure was still there but Grayback and his team were now gone. Spike glanced at his friends and his eyes widened.

"Rarity?" he said. "Where's Rarity?"

The seven others glanced all around. Rarity had vanished.

"You don't think?" Rainbow Dash began.

"Did Grayback take her?" Twilight Sparkle asked.

Spike's eyes narrowed in anger. He looked towards one end of the room and saw a bright orange tail whip around the corner. The young dragon quickly ran off after the foursome. The seven others tried to follow him but the room was now covered in pitch black darkness since Spike had left.

Meanwhile Grayback and his team had ran from the treasure room.

"Did you get her?" he asked.

"We got her boss." Chunker replied as he set Rarity down on the ground. Grayback glanced at the unicorn before he gave Chunker a smack on the back of the head.

"You numbskull!" he shouted. "That's not the princess. You grabbed the wrong one!"

"Now what are we going to do?" Psyke asked.

"We're not going to be able to get ransom for her." Monochrome said.

Rarity had now started to regain consciousness. She got unsteadily to her hooves and glared at the foursome. The group of thieves glared at her before Chunker grabbed her.

"Put me down you uncivilized brute!" Rarity yelled.

"I don't think so my dear." Grayback said in a voice that he felt was charming. "You are pretty you know."

"Hmph!" Rarity replied. "As if I would ever associate with criminals!"

"Such a fiery temper too." Grayback said. "Perhaps you could be useful. You might not be worth much ransom but you could make an excellent bride. What do you say?"

"I would rather marry a manticore!" Rarity said angrily.

Grayback chuckled a little.

"Suit yourself." he said. "I guess we'll just leave you here."

He took a glance at Rarity's eyes. Then he looked at her eyelashes. Grayback grinned as he stepped closer to Rarity.

"Your eyelashes are very attractive." he said. "Would you mind telling me where you bought them?"

Rarity looked extremely offended as she replied.

"Are you implying that my eyelashes are fake?" she asked.

"My dear there is no point in lying." Grayback replied. "You are trapped with four 'uncivilized brutes' as you would put it. There is no need to try and hide the truth."

Rarity remained silent but the glare that she gave Grayback was one that would make grown stallions shake with fright. Grayback however wasn't intimidated.

"I think these would look better on somepony else." he said. "Somepony who would be more open to marrying me."

With that, Grayback reached forwards and plucked the fake eyelashes off of Rarity's face. Rarity squealed in pain as Grayback removed them forcibly. She felt the tears form in her eyes but she tried her hardest not to let them fall.

"Leave her alone!" a voice shouted.

The foursome turned and saw Spike glaring at them. Then they broke into laughter.

"And what are you gonna do?" Psyke asked.

"What a wimp." Chunker said.

"Such a puny dragon could never challenge us." Monochrome agreed.

Spike glared at them then he used his necklace and transformed into Hum Drum. The foursome stared at him for a moment and then they laughed even harder. They were all so busy making fun of Spike that they didn't notice him transform into his armored state. Spike then ran up to Chunker and gave her a huge punch to the face. The muscular pegasus was forced backwards against a wall. The remaining three thieves stopped laughing and they started trying to attack Spike.

Psyke's horn glowed as he shot fire at the purple dragon below him. Spike quickly dodged the first blast and he was ready for the second one. Psyke sent another flame straight towards him but Spike raised his shield. The flame hit the shield and was reflected off. The red alicorn dodged the blast but Monochrome got hit with it. The gray mare crumpled to the ground as Spike used his sword to send a blast of magic towards Psyke. The psychotic alicorn was hit and he fell to the ground next to Monochrome. Chunker then charged towards Spike but the dragon grabbed a golden vase and covered the pegasus' face with it. Now that she had been blinded, Chunker had no way of attacking Spike. The purple drake shot another magic blast from his sword and Chunker was down. Grayback had a look of surprise on his face as he watched Spike quickly take down his team.

"Not bad." he commented. "You would make an excellent addition to my crew. Perhaps you would consider joining?"

"There's not a chance in Tartarus!" Spike replied.

Grayback shook his black feathered head.

"Very well." he said. "I guess I'll just have to take you down instead. It's a pity. You could have been quite helpful."

Grayback quickly grabbed a silver sword that had been lying on the ground and he charged towards Spike. The young dragon ran towards him and the two sword clashed against each other.

Rarity meanwhile had gotten up from the ground. Once Chunker had been hit, Rarity had been dropped rather hard onto the stone ground. Now she had gotten up and was watching the battle before her. She wanted to help Spike but there was no way she could use her magic without taking the chance of hitting Spike instead of Grayback.

"Rarity!" Spike yelled. "Get out of here! I'll handle this!"

Rarity didn't want to leave Spike but she had no other choice. The unicorn ran from the fierce battle and back into the treasure room. She ran until she crashed into somepony.

"Who's that?" a voice asked.

"Who's that?" Rarity replied.

"Rarity?"

"Twilight?"

The alicorn's horn glowed as she illuminated the room. Rarity stared at her friends as they stared at her.

"Where's Spike?" Twilight Sparkle asked.

"He's fighting those ruffians." Rarity answered. "He wanted me to escape."

The seven others were shocked but then they asked Rarity to bring them to the battle. Before they could move, the battle came closer to them. The eight friends watched as Spike and Grayback dueled with each other. The two of them moved across the room as their swords banged together. The duo dueled across the room as the group of eight watched them with wide eyes. Spike saw them and shouted.

"What are you waiting for?" he yelled. "Start grabbing the treasure!"

The eight friends nodded and started to fill their bags with gold, silver, and gems. Grayback let out a roar of anger and tried to attack them but Spike kept him at bay. The young dragon wasn't going to let the griffon get anywhere near his friends or the treasure.

"You're not gonna win." Spike said. "Just give up already."

"Shut up!" Grayback snarled. "Once I deal with you I'll get my treasure."

The duo kept up their fight as the eight friends gathered up more treasure. Their bags started to fill up but they kept going. They were going to grab as much treasure as they could possibly carry.

Spike and Grayback's duel came full circle as they made it back to the pathway that lead to Grayback's unconscious teammates. The griffon tried to use his brute force to defeat Spike but the dragon wouldn't give up.

_Come on Spike. _he thought to himself. _You gotta keep fighting. Do it for your friends. Do it for Rarity._

At the thought of the beautiful Rarity, Spike's desire to win burned even more. The young dragon attacked with even more strength and ferocity than he had. Grayback was stunned as he was forced back by the sheer power of Spike's assault. He had definitely not expected Spike to put up such a fight.

Meanwhile the group of eight had finally finished loading up their bags. The room was now clear of treasure and all they had to do was escape. They were about to leave but they hesitated. They couldn't just leave Spike behind.

"Come on Spike!" Twilight Sparkle shouted.

"Spike we gotta go!" Rainbow Dash yelled.

"You guys go!" Spike said. "I'll keep him busy and meet you outside!"

"But Spike." Twilight Sparkle began.

"Just go!" Spike shouted.

The group of eight turned and left the treasure room. Rarity was the last one out and she had to be dragged away by Rainbow Dash and Lightning Dust. Spike meanwhile continued his duel with Grayback. His friends might have gotten the treasure but he needed to buy them enough time to escape. Spike kept fighting in the hopes that he would be able to tire Grayback out. However Grayback was now filled with rage at the loss of his treasure. The griffon roared and slashed at Spike. The purple dragon dodged the sword but then Grayback's fist caught him. Spike was sent flying backwards as his sword flew out of his grasp.

Grayback smirked as he approached Spike. He knocked the dragon's shield away and he raised his sword for the final blow. Spike then breathed his emerald green fire at the sword causing Grayback to roar in pain and drop it. The young dragon then pressed the yellow gem on his armored boots and slid towards his dropped weapon. He quickly picked it up along with his shield and continued his duel against Grayback. The griffon now started using his brute strength in an attempt to drive Spike into the ground. Spike however had pressed the orange switch on his boots which made his boots dig into the ground. Spike just could not be moved by Grayback's barrage of punches. After blocking another hit, Spike lifted his sword and sent a blast of magic at his enemy. The beam nailed Grayback right in the chest and sent him flying across the room. He hit the stone wall opposite and slid to the ground. The griffon hit the floor with a thud and did not get up again. Spike quickly put away his sword and shield as he ran off after his friends.

The group of eight was walking along their path and they made it back to where they had been trapped inside of the metal cage. Twilight Sparkle and Gilda worked on clearing a path through the boulders to the exit. The six others were stuck worrying about Spike. Would he be able to defeat Grayback and make it back to them? Finally light started to pour into the cave as the alicorn and the griffon opened the way outside. The eight friends hesitated. They didn't want to leave Spike behind inside of the cave.

"Should we go back?" Twilight Sparkle asked.

"We gotta save him." Gilda said.

Applejack looked down the path and smiled.

"Ah don't think he'll need any saving." she said.

"And why is that" Rarity asked.

"Because he's comin' here right now." the cowgirl replied.

The seven others looked and sure enough, Applejack was right. Spike was sprinting towards them and he stopped just short of crashing into Lightning Dust. He pressed the purple gem on his boots as well as the green gem in his belt and then turned back into Hum Drum. He grinned at his friends who grinned right back.

"So I guess you guys got the treasure?" he asked.

The eight friends nodded and then they seized Spike in a group hug. All eight of them praised Spike for his heroism, bravery, and selflessness. Spike blushed a bit from the surge of compliments but he was definitely pleased. The group of nine walked out of the cave with smiles on their faces.


	9. Chapter 9: Heading Home

**Chapter 9: Heading Home**

The group of nine made their way out of the cave. All of them were in extremely high spirits. They had gotten all of the treasure that they had found inside of the cave and they had been reunited with Spike. The young dragon had also been able to defeat Grayback and his team of crooks. The nine friends chatted happily as they exited the dark cave and into the bright light that shined over the mountainside. What could bring down their happiness?

Little did they know that the answer to that question was waiting for them on the other side of the cave exit.

The group of nine finally made it out of the cave and their jaws dropped in shock. The huge army of forty that they had fought before had recovered. Now all forty of them were standing in rows and giving the group of nine arrogant grins.

"Did you really think it'd be that easy?" the pegasus leader asked. "Did you actually think we'd let you out of here with our treasure?"

"You're not gonna take our treasure!" Rainbow Dash shouted.

"We beat ya once and we can beat ya again!" Gilda agreed.

"Oh really?" the pegasus asked. "Maybe you'd like to prove that? Ready boys?"

The thirty nine troops behind him all gave their assurance.

"Sir yes sir!" they shouted.

"Now that you guys have taken care of Grayback we get more of the treasure." the pegasus leader said. "So thanks for helping us. We owe ya one."

The group of forty prepared to attack at any moment. The nine friends were nervous. The battle had been tough before but now they had treasure weighing them down. This wouldn't be easy.

Meanwhile a lone mare was hurrying up to the mountainside. This mare was hoping that she wasn't too late. She had seen the group of nine go off to the mountain and she had wanted to join them. Unfortunately she had been delayed by quite a bit. She saw the army of forty facing against the group of nine and she stopped in her tracks. The unicorn mare's horn glowed and she vanished. She had turned herself invisible. She stealthily made her way towards the two opposing groups and waited for the right moment.

The leader pegasus gave the group of nine an arrogant smirk.

"You can still escape." he said. "Just leave the treasure behind and we'll let you walk away without a fuss. You have my word."

"Not buying it." Rainbow Dash said.

"We didn't come this far to give up." Gilda agreed.

"We're gonna take you down." Lightning Dust shouted.

"So be it." the leader pegasus spat. "Take 'em down boys."

One of the griffons growled and lunged at Rainbow Dash. He was a few feet away from her when he was hit by a blast of magic. The griffon was immobilized in the air and he crashed to the ground unable to move.

"Who's there?" the pegasus demanded. "Show yourself!"

Nopony answered his demands. Instead more beams of magic shot from an unknown location and immobilized even more troops. The remaining thirty scattered as the pegasus tried to take charge of the situation.

The hidden mare smiled to herself. This was all too easy. Her horn glowed and she froze yet another member of the pegasus' army.

The group of nine watched in awe as one by one the army of forty fell. They had no clue who was attacking them but they were incredibly grateful. Finally only the pegasus was left.

"Where are you?" he screamed.

The mare smiled to herself as she approached him from behind. Then she tapped him on the shoulder. The pegasus wheeled around and was hit in the face by one final blast of magic. He fell to the ground and couldn't get up.

"Who did this?" Rainbow Dash asked in a stunned tone.

"Where are they?" Gilda wondered.

Twilight Sparkle looked around and saw nothing.

"Whoever you are." she said. "Thank you."

The mare grinned to herself as she stood in front of Twilight Sparkle.

"You are quite welcome." she said.

With a faint popping sound, the mare revealed herself. Twilight Sparkle looked at her blue body and her silvery gray wavy mane and her eyes widened. Her suspicions were confirmed when she saw the purple starry cape and hat.

"Trixie?" she asked.

Trixie Lulamoon smiled and nodded. Twilight Sparkle smiled as she gave the showmare a huge hug. Trixie eagerly returned the embrace with a huge smile.

"How did you find us?" Twilight Sparkle asked.

"Trixie saw you heading to this spot." Trixie replied. "Trixie would have been here sooner but her fans were very eager to see an encore performance. But why are you here?"

"We went looking for treasure." Twilight Sparkle replied as she let go of Trixie. The group of ten walked away from the cave and they talked with each other. "Some criminals set us up."

"Scoundrels." Trixie growled. "Luring others with lies about treasure."

"The treasure is real Trixie." Twilight Sparkle assured her. "We found it."

"You did?" Trixie asked in amazement.

Twilight Sparkle opened her bag and showed Trixie the gold, silver, and gems that were inside of it.

"So we're going to take a train back to Ponyville." Twilight Sparkle said. "Guess I'll see you some other time Trixie."

"Why not let Trixie take you back?" Trixie offered. "Trixie was on her way to Ponyville."

"Trixie I don't think your caravan can fit us." Twilight Sparkle replied.

"Trixie has expanded her caravan." the showmare said. "Trixie assures you that you shall all be able to fit inside of it quite comfortably."

The group of ten made it to where Trixie had parked her caravan. The vehicle was now much larger and it had a new paint job as well. The main part of the wagon was painted in the same shade of blue as Trixie's body. The wheels had been given the same silvery gray color as Trixie's mane and tail. The roof of the caravan had been painted purple and were decorated the same way as Trixie's stage outfit. The flag still hung from the front of the showmare's caravan and it still depicted Trixie's cutie mark. The group of ten quickly boarded the wagon and Trixie used her magic to get it to start moving. The caravan made its way to Ponyville as the nine friends poured their treasure into one big pile.

"I can't believe it." Twilight Sparkle whispered.

The others were all in awe of the beauty that the treasures possessed. They had no idea what to do with it. Spike and Rarity each had their own treasures that they were keeping. The two of them had found The Amulet of Hearts. Spike wanted to give his to Rarity but he felt like the time wasn't right yet. He pressed the green gem on his cape and turned back into Hum Drum. He had been in his armored form since he was expecting to fight the army of forty but now he knew that that wouldn't be necessary. Spike looked at Rarity and saw that she wasn't exactly happy.

"Are you okay Rarity?" Spike asked as he sat down next to the white unicorn.

"They took my eyelashes." Rarity sobbed. "I look so ugly without them."

Rarity looked like she was on the verge of tears. Spike knew that he needed to do something to comfort her. He put his hand on Rarity's hoof and spoke to her.

"Listen Rarity." he said. "You don't need those fake eyelashes. Not with those beautiful eyes."

Rarity stared at Spike as he stared back. A smile started to grow on Rarity's face as she realized that Spike was being completely honest with her.

"Thank you Spike." she said as she hugged him. "Nopony has ever been so nice to me."

"Well it's true." Spike said. "You really are beautiful. Don't let anypony tell you otherwise. Especially not yourself."

Rarity hugged the purple dragon even tighter. His words really meant a lot to him. Spike really wanted to hand over the amulet but something was telling him to wait. However there was one thing on his mind. Something that he had wanted to ask Rarity for a very long time.

"Hey Rarity." Spike began. "Would you like to go on a date with me tomorrow?"

Rarity stared at him but then she grinned broadly.

"I would love to Spike." she said.

Spike had a huge grin on his face as he made arrangements. He told Rarity to meet him outside of Carousel Boutique at six o'clock in the evening the next day. Rarity agreed to this and the caravan made its way into Ponyville. It pulled to a stop next to Twilight Sparkle's castle. The group of ten got out and they went off to their houses. They had divided the treasure among themselves as equally as they could. They agreed that Trixie deserved to have an equal share. She might not have found it but she had saved them from Grayback's army. The group of ten had a small party later on at SugarCube Corner. Spike was getting a bit anxious. He needed to make reservations at the restaurant but he didn't want Pinkie Pie to think that he hated her parties. Spike approached the pink pony and spoke to her.

"Umm Pinkie." he began. "This party's great but I need to leave for a bit."

Pinkie Pie frowned as she heard this.

"You don't like my parties?" she asked as her eyes started to water.

"No your parties are great." Spike assured her. "I just have something I need to take care of. I'll be back I promise."

Pinkie Pie looked convinced but she was curious about where Spike was going. She tried to ask Spike but he wouldn't give her an answer.

"It's kind of a secret." Spike said with a blush on his face.

"C'mon." Pinkie Pie said. "I won't tell. Cross my heart. Hope to fly. Stick a cupcake in my eye."

Spike knew that Pinkie Pie was now being honest. She had made what she called a 'Pinkie Promise'. While most of her friends treated it as a joke, Pinkie Pie took these promises very seriously. Spike whispered his plans into Pinkie Pie's ear and she smiled. Spike went on his way and off to the finest restaurant in Ponyville. He talked to the waiter and made a reservation. He would be able to take Rarity out to dinner at six thirty tomorrow evening. Spike smiled to himself as he made his way to a store and bought something special for Rarity. He may have already had The Amulet of Hearts but he felt like Rarity would appreciate this gift as well. Spike went back to the party and nopony noticed that he had even left. The group of ten celebrated for a while and then they were off to their houses. Spike laid down in his basket and smiled. He'd have his date with Rarity tomorrow.

Rarity meanwhile was in her bedroom and was gazing at The Amulet of Hearts that she had found. The white unicorn was wondering if she was falling in love with Spike. She had been thinking about him when the amulet had appeared so maybe that was a clue. Rarity laid down in her bed and anticipated the next day. She and Spike would be going on a date and Rarity was definitely excited about it.


	10. Chapter 10: Finding True Love

**Chapter 10: Finding True Love**

Spike woke up the next day and he was very excited. Today he would finally go on that romantic date with Rarity that he wanted to go on for so long. He couldn't wait for six o'clock to come. The young dragon could barely contain his enthusiasm. Twilight Sparkle knew of his date and she was extremely happy for him. She had known about his crush on Rarity and she was glad that he had gotten a date with the mare he loved. Spike did whatever he could to help the purple alicorn but his mind wandered to daydreams of the date that he had planned for himself and Rarity.

Meanwhile at Carousel Boutique, Rarity was franticly searching for just the right dress for her date with Spike. She might not have fallen completely in love with him but she wanted to impress him. Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy did what they could to help but Rarity was still nervous.

"Come on Rarity it's not that big of a deal." Rainbow Dash said.

"Ah think y'all are gettin' a bit too worked up about this." Applejack agreed.

"Spike's not gonna care what you're wearing." Pinkie Pie insisted.

"He's going to think you're beautiful no matter what." Fluttershy said.

Rarity smiled at her four friends and nodded. They were right of course. Spike would always see her as beautiful and he wouldn't mind what she wore for their date. Rarity quickly picked out a pink dress and tried it on. She looked at herself in the mirror and smiled. Spike would love the way she looked. Rarity wished that she could have added her usual eyelashes but she hadn't replaced them yet. However Spike's words from the previous day rang in her head.

_"You don't need fake eyelashes. Not with those beautiful eyes."_

Rarity smiled as she checked the clock. She had half an hour before her date. Her friends wished her luck and then they departed. The white unicorn grabbed the box that held The Amulet of Hearts that she had gotten from the cave. Rarity was patiently awaiting Spike's arrival.

Meanwhile back at Twilight Sparkle's castle Spike was putting on his tuxedo. He made sure that the suit was neat and clean for his date. He wanted to look his absolute best for Rarity. He placed a matching black top hat on his head and smiled. He was ready for his date. He grabbed The Amulet of Hearts as well as another surprise that he had for Rarity and then he was on his way to Carousel Boutique. He made it to the door and took a deep breath. This was it. He was finally going on a date with Rarity. He rang the doorbell and waited. Soon enough Rarity opened the door and smiled at him.

"Are you ready my lady?" Spike asked in his most polite voice that he had.

"Why yes I am." Rarity replied. She walked out of the boutique and walked next to Spike.

"You look beautiful Rarity." Spike said.

Rarity smiled at the compliment.

"Thank you very much." she said. "You look quite handsome."

Spike blushed as he heard these words from the mare of his dreams. She thought that he was handsome.

The two of them walked on as Spike tried to pass the time. They still had twenty minutes before they would have their spot at the restaurant. The two went to a park and sat on a bench. Spike decided that now would be a good time to give Rarity the gift that he had bought.

"Here you go Rarity." Spike said. "I hope you like it."

Rarity opened the box and her eyes widened. Spike had given her eyelashes that were identical to the ones that Grayback had taken from her.

"Spike this is so generous." Rarity said. "But I thought you said I didn't need these."

"It's true." Spike said. "You don't need them because you're beautiful without them. But you're also beautiful with them. If you want to wear them it's your choice. You'll always be beautiful to me."

Rarity's eyes watered a bit and she smiled. She took the eyelashes and put them on. While Spike's compliment really meant a lot to her, Rarity felt just a bit more beautiful with her eyelashes.

"Thank you Spike." Rarity said as she gave him a small kiss on the cheek. Spike blushed furiously at the affection that he received from the mare that he loved. He checked his watch and saw that they now had five minute to get to the restaurant. Spike got up and the two of them went off to the restaurant that Spike had gotten a reservation at. Rarity's eyes widened when she saw where Spike had taken her.

"Spike." she said in an awe filled voice. "You got reservations at the fanciest restaurant in Ponyville."

"Well I thought you'd like it." he replied.

"I love it." Rarity said.

The two of them walked in and the waiter escorted them to their table. The wooden table was covered with a fancy white tablecloth which had small candles burning at each corner. The duo sat down at the table and examined the menus that they had received. They ordered their food and it had been cooked to perfection. Rarity and Spike had a very good time as they talked. Spike and Rarity got along better than either of them had expected. They had a lot more in common than they had thought. When their dinner was over Spike took a deep breath. His gut was telling him that the time was right. It was finally time for him to give Rarity The Amulet of Hearts.

"Rarity." he said. "Could you close your eyes for a minute?"

Rarity smiled and complied. She closed her eyes and wondered what Spike was planning. The young dragon pulled out a small box and opened it. He pulled out the amulet and took a deep breath once again.

_Okay._ he thought to himself. _Here goes nothing._

"Open your eyes Rarity." he said.

Rarity's eyes opened and then widened when she saw what Spike was holding.

"Spike." she said in shock. "Is that The Amulet of Hearts?"

"Yeah it is." Spike replied. "I want you to have it."

Rarity had a big smile on her face as she took the amulet and put it around her neck.

"I love it." she said. "Thank you so much Spike."

"It was nothing." Spike said. "That's why I went to the cave. I wanted to find that for you."

"You went through all of that trouble for me?" Rarity asked.

"I would go through it all over again if I had to." Spike said.

Rarity was completely shocked. Nopony had ever been so kind to her. All of a sudden Rarity knew that she had been trying to find love in all the wrong places. She had been searching Canterlot for the perfect gentlecolt when she had one right in front of her this whole time. Rarity realized that Spike was perfect for her.

"Spike." she said. "Would you close your eyes please/"

Spike closed his eyes and waited. Rarity pulled out her own small box and took out The Amulet of Hearts. She knew that this was the right thing to do.

"Open your eyes Spike." she said.

Spike opened his eyes and he was stunned when he saw The Amulet of Hearts.

"Where did you find it?" he asked.

"In the cave." Rarity answered. "I was so worried about you and then I found it."

Spike put the amulet on and the two sat in silence for a moment.

"Rarity." Spike began. "I have something that I need to say to you."

Rarity smiled politely as she waited for Spike to speak.

"I always thought you were beautiful." he said. "From the first day I met you I wanted to be with you. I wanted to give you that amulet because you deserve to have something that's as beautiful as you are." Spike took a deep breath and then said the four words that he had wanted to say from the moment that he had met the unicorn sitting before him.

"I love you Rarity." Spike said.

Rarity's eyes widened as she looked at the dragon that confessed his love for her. She noticed that the gem inside of the amulet had changed its color. It changed from clear to the exact shade of blue that Rarity's eyes were. The white unicorn knew that Spike's love for her was true.

"Spike." Rarity began. "All this time I wanted to find a gentlecolt. All this time I thought that I needed to find somepony who was as refined as I am. I had searched for the right one for so long but I had a perfect gentlecolt right here this whole time."

Rarity looked Spike in the eyes as she continued.

"I love you Spike." she said.

Spike's eyes widened as he heard this. Rarity truly loved him. He saw the gem inside of her amulet change from clear to the exact shade of green that his eyes were. Spike knew that Rarity really meant what she had said. The two lovers moved closer together and then their lips locked together in a kiss.

This was happiness for the two of them. They had finally found their true love. pike had finally gotten the love of the mare that he adored all this time. Rarity had found the perfect gentlecolt that she had wanted for so long. The two of them stayed in their kiss until they were forced to break apart in order to breathe. They stared at each other with love filled smiles. Then the waiter came by with their bill and Spike paid for it. The duo left the restaurant and headed back to Carousel Boutique. Spike wanted to walk Rarity home. The duo stopped just outside of the boutique.

"Good night Rarity." Spike said as he lightly kissed the unicorn on the cheek.

"Good night Spike." Rarity replied as she returned his gesture.

Rarity headed inside of the boutique and Spike left for Twilight Sparkle's castle. Rarity took off her dress and laid down in her bed. The white unicorn smiled happily as she fell asleep. She wasn't even aware that she was still wearing The Amulet of Hearts. The young dragon entered the castle and saw the purple alicorn waiting for him. She saw the smile on his face and she knew that everything had gone well for her number one assistant. The purple alicorn said good night to Spike and the two of them went off to bed. Spike took of his tuxedo and laid down in his basket with a smile on his face. He too was still wearing his amulet.

**The End!**

**Author's Note: **I hope you guys liked this story because I had a good time writing it. I really liked the idea of Spike and Rarity getting together and I feel like Spike would definitely find a gem like this to show his love for Rarity. This story was a lot of fun to write and I think it came out really well. My next story is something that I wanted to write since literally the beginning. There's a saying that 'All's fair in love and war.' Well my next story is going to involve both love and war. I can't wait to get started on it and I am certain that you'll love it. Reviews are appreciated as always. Thanks for reading!


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